Arizona

Arizona, the Grand Canyon or Copper State, is synonymous with desert landscapes and its mild winter climate is golfing heaven. There are few Golden Age designs here in Arizona, largely due to the fact that tough hybrid grasses had not yet appeared on the scene. However, some courses did appear in the early part of the 20th century and the oldest course in the southwest (1919) is still in play at the Phoenix Country Club.

The first golf course build of serious note in the Grand Canyon State is Desert Forest Golf Club, located at altitude in Carefree. It was designed in 1962 by Robert “Red” Lawrence, an associate of Walter Travis, on an incredibly tight budget. Red Lawrence went on to fashion numerous other courses in the American Southwest, becoming known as “The Desert Fox” of golf course architecture.

Since the early 1960s, more than 300 golf courses have been laid out and the cities of Scottsdale and Phoenix are Arizona’s equivalents of Scotland’s St Andrews. Many courses are fashioned in a target golf style with narrow, ribbon-like fairways. Some golf courses are also eponymously named after the region’s various cacti, which flank many emerald fairways in this hot and arid US state.

Forest Highlands (Canyon)Description: Opened in 1988, the Canyon course at Forest Highlands Golf Club was created by the design duo of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. It is currently the premier golf course in the State of Arizona.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:5.5
out of 6

EstanciaDescription: Estancia is set underneath the northern slope of Pinnacle Peak, Scottsdale’s most famous landmark. Tom Fazio designed this desert course amongst the huge boulder outcrops and the saguaro cacti.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:5
out of 6

Jack Nicklaus constructed the course at Desert Highlands Golf Club around a sizeable Scottsdale residential development where 18 sand-protected holes are routed without a single water hazard on the property.

Whisper Rock (Upper)Description: Key to scoring well at Whisper Rock and maintaining a prickle free round is to keep the ball in play as rough desert and spiky cacti surround most holes.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:6
out of 6

We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)Description: The Saguaro course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club is the second course built at this stunning facility and opened in December 2006.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:5.3333333333333
out of 6

The RimDescription: The Rim Golf Club is nestled amongst the vanilla scented stands of Ponderosa Pine and it was fashioned by the team that created Scotland’s famous Loch Lomond Golf Club.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4
out of 6

Whisper Rock (Lower)Description: Whisper Rock owner Gregg Tryhus teamed up Phil Mickelson with Dallas-based architect Gary Stephenson to turn a boulder-strewn area in the Sonoran Desert into a very special golf venue.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:6
out of 6

Pine CanyonDescription: A Jay Morrish design from 2004, the course at Pine Canyon Club is routed around numerous ponds and lakes on a rolling landscape to the south of Flagstaff. Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4
out of 6

Desert ForestDescription: Desert Forest Golf Club was fashioned in 1962 by Robert "Red" Lawrence who went on to shape numerous other courses in the American SouthwestWritten by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4
out of 6